My Wife Tested Positive for the COVID 19 Virus, and Here's What We're Doing

American family radio. This installations the show as a family caregiver, I am Peter Rosenberger I am your host. 888-589-8840 888-589-8840 if you want to be part of the show are you are you girls going on the excess will test what is been nuts for a long time overdue it is to see that the near pool. How do we function this what is this like process caregivers versus believers process just human beings. What would I would function this I will start off this morning with a updated my life. My wife has indeed been tested with the virus and is positive for this and she is under quarantine right now is in my and we are doing this together. We are now. I'm not symptomatic.

I don't have a fever have a cough but I've had a call for a while and I get cough this time every year and I also in feeding horses every day and going into a barn filled with hate and so knows but she is on the other hand is sick she is recovering nicely and she is well nicely is not the right word. She would say no recovering, but I don't feel nicely. So talk about this this morning as a caregiver as people who are engaged with people who are struggling and suffering.

This is not the first sickness we been through with Gracie seriously can we been through actually far worse with grace, but it is up close and real and personal with us that we came all the way out to where we are in Montana they can we get away from all the sinks send Abbott she had to see a specialist in a major city and evidently that's where he got picked up were not sure yet. Still working on. So this is the world we're living in. And this is where we are and how they navigate through this. Start off with Proverbs 321 through 35. My son, do not lose sight of these keep sound wisdom and discretion, and they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck and you will walk on your way securely in your foot will not stumble.

If you lie down will not be afraid when you lie down your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden terror or the ruin of the wicked when it comes the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when it is in your power to do it.

How's that for Scripture this morning about what were dealing with. I think that I you're you're watching a lot of different reactions with this. I know that we are when we first when Gracie first became symptomatic. I thought it was strep because she is told that my wife has had had 80 surgeries. She's double amputee, and she is no stranger to significant amounts of infections and so forth. Like many of you are dealing with a loved one who is vulnerable and who is at risk.

Individual and she is certainly an at risk individual in that risk as manifest itself now with a positive test for the coronavirus. So what we do, how we function, how do we we endure this thing think we use a lot of common sense. You know we we are the good news is been this will be I think comforting to a lot of you will is that she is recovering with over-the-counter medications and treatments. She's not in the hospital. We are quarantine and will be that way for some time but you know what is caregivers we get the whole quarantine thing were often one of candor suffer from three guys we lose our identity, which is one of the reasons I do the show was to help caregivers find their own voice and certainly is been one to help me find mine we become isolated and we lose our independence well so were not strangers to this world of a social distancing, and this is where we are and and so we were okay.

Actually, I've been you, I don't live like meal to meal as as a caregiver. I have to plan that I have to think through things for groceries and so forth. And in what we do and we been dealing with that we live in a very where we live is is winners or priests severe out here and so you would plan for being stuck up here. The snow for days.

Sometimes she could be stuck up there for weeks and as I've been doing that since November. So were okay.

I did have a dream the other night that I went downstairs and found a closet full of toilet paper and stop fulltilt paper and so but I did know what that was all about. Some of you, and I don't need anybody that interpret streams to call police just just leave that alone. And it's is one of the sinks were we we use a lot of common sense that's what the Scripture talks about just you know, just being, having common sense. For those of us who are caregivers we are, particularly if you had somebody with a lot of one care and so forth.

There's a lot of common sense and goes into play with this and I've had to count up and change very complex dressings at home with Gracie have had to do all kinds of things with her over the she's had mercilessly set all kinds of things that this is part of the journey.

It's not pleasant. We don't like it. Yet here we are.

And so I go back and look at the Israelites went when they were told to go out and put blood on the doorpost in the lintel so that the angel death would pass over it and I know a lot of people out there there's there's so many means there's more memes out there that I think there is virus and it it's your people saying if you put Chick-fil-A sauce on the doorpost you okay I appreciate the humor with it, but the bottom line is they had to act.

They had to do what they were told they would had to be obedient in order to protect themselves. That's what we do and we have done to the best of our abilities. We have tried to do that with Gracie particular because she's that rich person, but here we are.

And there are some that we still don't know exactly how this contracted she contracted this because we have tried to be as is prudent as possible with her, but she is an at risk.

Individual they are looking at me rather with great puzzlement because of her caregiver 24 seven on with her all the time in their thinking about why that you showing signs of this and so there that these are not the first people to look at me and scratch their head, but that's a whole different story to a whole different show and so were going stay put. I mean about my life really hasn't changed all that much.

As soon as I finish the show today I go up there and I make breakfast for Gracie and I get on my winter gear good at and feed the horses and get in that bar again so I am good. I am covering my face a little bit more in the barn around the hate and that he doesn't have the coronavirus that he just hit Haiti and those of you out there suffering from hayfever and understand that and so I will find out Monday on whether or not I test positive for this, but again I'm not symptomatic building have fever and III want, though this to be a source of encouragement. Gracie has significant health issues but she's getting through this. She is not in any kind of dire circumstances. They sent her home were treating it with commonsense medicine over-the-counter stuff you my dad has a long time quote… The show would feel good recharge of this but dad said most of life's ailments can be solved by puking it popping undertaking NyQuil. It's up to, but just a lot of common sense and I wanted to come wanted to share this okay this this is reality and those you would listen the show for a long time. You know you know me you know her story and this is where we are possible with an open and free Trust God with this issue. Some common sense and be obedient to the steps that were asked to do comes right 589-8888 eight 589-8840 want to just check in with show guitar calls will go to break this Peter Rosenberg this is John is in caregiver on American family radio Rosenberg. This is the nation's number one show you as a family.

How you hold is the joy of the Lord. Your strength 888-589-8840 888-589-8840 if you want to be a part of the show. That's Gracie singing with Russ Taft from her new record, resilient, and she is resilient even in the presence of the coronavirus sheet is resilient and she is recovering and she is going to be okay and I want that to be a source of comfort to you all know there's a lot of fear out there. She said at risk individual and guess what she got. We don't know about me yet. But then again, a lot of people have a note about me for a long time and that that's a separate show. That's a separate dialogue with a lot of training mental health professionals, but I have they tested me yesterday was kind of surreal. I drove down to the cliff asked to go down asked me to stay in the car and the document has met Satan.

They stick us Bob up your nose and then I have to wait till Monday.

Again, I'm not symptomatic and she's been symptomatic since a week ago Friday, and she's been out of the public as soon as she got any, symptoms that we potentially recognizes hard with her because she gets sick a lot. She has a lot of health issues. We don't know with her what's going on and it's very difficult sometimes to know okay is this this is this whatever and taking her to the hospital or to the doctor is a real pain and we try to not do that as much as possible unless there's something that is extraordinary and but this is where the sinks were the doctors like you gotta come down there that they sequester out they did the did a bunch of test they ruled outstripped they ruled out everything else they said I would just do this is a precaution, and it came back positive. So here's where we are and but they're all still looking at me with the puzzled looks, because I'm not symptomatic and I don't have a fever. The test we used a donut fever and we use a lot of precautions. There's a chance that it I'll probably end up testing positive. Who knows, but do we need to be living in fear and craziness about this. I think this is the time where we as believers have an opportunity to demonstrate that our trust is in God that no weapon formed against you shall prosper that we are not at the mercy of something that he is sovereign, or even overall, this if he is Lord at all. That is Lord of all that we have to use some common sense we have to use some discretion. We have to use some changed behavior, you know.

But how is it any different. You wear a seatbelt when you get the card out. You and I and lady calling one town to the show and she said she doesn't see her doctor. She had seen a doctor nears that the Lord is her doctor and I stress it will.

How does the Lord check your cholesterol, you know we you trust in God and you put a seatbelt house at any different from anything else that we deal with and you you you you let you take the wisdom of the Council from all the professionals that are giving us guidance.

Any use your best judgment but as caregivers we been doing that for a long time, particular those of you involved with very sick individuals who are dealing with wound care issues are susceptible to things or whatever we been doing this for a long time.

This is not my first rodeo without taking care of Gracie through a some type of virus sick disorder or infection. As I mentioned, the last segment. She's had Mercer twice and and she was so she was hovering. We we really didn't think she was going to make it, but she pulled through. She is a tough tough gal and anybody that knows or will attest to that sheet she is one tough guy we just the fact low. She's been married to me for 34 years.

I did tell you something, and either that or she's just a glutton for well I don't know yet tough task Herbert, but she use of she's doing okay and she's just going to have to ride this thing out and just like so many others are and but we don't have to live in fear and were not going to. We use common sense and we trust in God. In this how you doing with this how you feeling you know are you are you. Fear is one of those things is Windows 7 caregiver landmines in the book 7 caregiver landmines and how you can avoid and what happens a lot of times with fear is that we start living in the wreckage of our future wheat wheat we've already got this thing mapped out and I am just as guilty. That is, anyone and everyone and I went and I told John, a producer of the show. I told him he needs to cut a spot jobs in this Isa. The views expressed by the host of the show are not things that he owns with things that God's working at an even as exist, so we may have to continue do that I would. I would like to tell you that I own all these things I would like to tell you that I have a handle on all of the sinks but I don't. I have to say them. I have to hear them. I have to be reminded of them. I don't think we as caregivers need a lot of instruction but we do need a lot of reminders. I can't instruct you to take care of your loved one in the morning. Instruct me take care of Gracie but we can remind each other of where the path to safety as we can remind each other of what help. Looks like we can remind each other of the faithfulness of God. We can remind each other that this world is filled with many dangers, toils and snares, but that we can remind each other that he brings us through the six and that's what we need to do and that's what the world needs to see us do that we can become week week that the. The challenge for us is how we respond to this and as you for is anyone you have listened to the show for any period of time will know I've come to make a realization is, is that the Forfar music caregiver. I have fought the wrong enemy, I would fight diseases that I have no power over I would fight Tracy's chronic pain that would fight medical providers that didn't do what I thought they should do, or insurance companies are or your friends or families that didn't help the way I wanted do it. I would fight Gracie. I would fight all kinds of things that I had to come to this realization that the enemy is not the sickness of the pestilence at the dysfunction of the disability. The enemy is me and how I respond to it in my reacting order my responding and you know I don't have to torture myself with fear and I think that's what that's what a lot of us do list I do I do I like out of the only one I can't be the only one surely not nothing to me to call you shortly but I I I think that this is this is our battle. Are we going to stay calm in the midst of these things are we going to freak out and I cringe when I think about all the times that I freaked out. Still do you know and I would love to tell you that I don't know. I host the nation's largest radio program for family caregivers. You would think that I would be the model but I'm not. I'm just somebody who is just in this with you. Just like we all are. But the experience I've had is given me a bit more perspective that he is faith and I've learned a lot of these things the hard way when you have failed as many times as I failed. But even in those failures, we get an opportunity to see his provision and I think this is something that we make a very serious mistake. It is as believers, is that somehow we think we gotta squint our eyes real hard and be really strong people of faith that God will prove us and got approved office because what he did not because of what we do in the work that he's doing in us. He rescued us from something far worse than a virus there's a there's a greater virus out there, and he rescued us from that while we were yet enemies with. We'll consider ourselves enemies with God, but until we come to a place of faith in Christ. That's exactly what work classified as an in sin begets sin begets sin. Sin cannot do anything but continue more sit there has to be something radical to change that and we can't wish it away. We can't know I'm pretty real hard and spin around and click her heels three times everything else were going to have to trust him to guide us through this thing and to sanctify us through this process and he's doing, and sometimes he uses the most crazy things, or even the craziest people to be a part of it and I was listen to woman so you know I think I think God's trying to get our attention. God doesn't try to do anything God doesn't question is how we respond to it and and and and and all of Scripture you can you go back and look, I don't see God trying to do anything. It's not like he's like well I got that one almost almost got it almost got no he doesn't he doesn't do it.

He is purposed in everything he does.

We don't understand and don't even have to like we don't have to agree with were not consultants either.

And he doesn't look to us for us to give him our approval questions we go to trusted even in the face of a global pandemic now for those of you who are long-term caregivers and you know how you are Uniface and some really ugly things in your life and I will I will give you this picture when Gracie gave up her right leg.

This back in 1991 she was 25 years old and that we had done some research trying to say that Lake and finally we reached the end of all the surgeries that her surgeon said that with a suspended and finally got to that point, we have a bunch of friends and family. The hospital room in the morning of the chief a decision here to show your mother at this time the doctor comes in claims Reuel just clears and just mean Gracie looking Celeste does it hurt this bad result, she totally said I didn't know what was on the other side is where we are like 85 888 40 888-589-8040 spin Rosenberg Queen Peter Rosenberger and this is your caregiver minute you ever notice that were often put on the spot to somehow fix whatever happens to be the crisis of the day or the hour. Some folks feel free to point out the obvious, as if we can't see it and then impatiently demanded we come up with an answer. Caregivers don't need others to rehash the same problem we've obsessed over nor do we need folks to place another unreasonable request on our shoulders, asking those individuals for solutions and then just being quiet gives them a moment's pause to consider the complexity of our world is caregivers while everyone has opinions.

If you have solutions and even less have the humility to walk with you and suffering when no solutions are apparent. Asking complainers to give me a solution is a great way to redirect the complaining energy and if needs be. Send them on their way. This is been your caregiver minute with Peter Rosenberger brought to you by standing with hope there's more information that standing with hope.com how you 888-589-8840 888-589-8840 and would love to hear from you if you will be a part of the show.

I was told the story of Gracie giving up her right leg back in 1991 in which he said no. I don't know what's on the other side of that operating room door. But I know who is those that was really extraordinary moment for me.

I was you I was freaking out and I was I was young I was stupid I was, you know, I know. And here's my wife telling her surgeon take off my right leg. They reached the end of what they could do with it and and and so she did and it was a it was all that you can imagine, it was traumatic was emotional at all those kinds of things, but she faced and then four years later, she did the same thing with her left leg and became the double amputee and she I watched her come out of surgery. That second time she was laying on the gurney halfway sedated and she had her hands lifted to heaven as he came out they were taken to intensive care is for the day with her afterwards and she was singing the doxology praise God from whom all blessings flow and you know what she's doing the same thing. Now she faces this challenge with the virus, which she has been tested positive for now and I have not, but she has and she is recovering and she is she doesn't feel great, but she is recovering and she is faced worse and as believers this is our journey is okay do we trust him even in these kinds of things and we have an opportunity do so we can record team together for a while, but we been quenching together for 34 years. Imagine she's going to get quite tired of me in the ghetto and look for subversion. We can go outside will get will get outside and get some pressure where we live. It's very cold but she likes the cold weather and as she starts to feel better will get around fresh air for and so forth. But I will get the results back for my test on Monday.

Will let you know next week about that. You cannot catch up to the radio under that strong impression and so we write so I know it's it's early morning and overdo it with coronavirus and don't expect great humor just give you ghetto what I got right now but it's you know we are faced worse as a couple. She is certainly faced worse as an individual and it is scary it is. It is alarming. It is concerning, but we have faced worse and were going to come through this thing with confidence and common sense and that's how to do it as individuals assembling to do this a couple and that's how were going to do it as a nation and if you really want some of the best things you can do is turn off cable news just just only watch I'm a news junkie how I confess to you I am I truly can sigh I consume vast quantities of politics and news and everything else. Gracie would tell you it's it's it's just annoying to be around me and I consume these things but I've had to turn it off it in and I would ask you to pray for our president. I look at the sniping that's going on from the media asking them all the stupid questions and I don't normally swerve into politics. But I gotta tell you the news media in this country. These people suffer from an extreme case of cranial rectal interface and it is it is frustrating to watch the just turn it off of this this network you got good stuff on this network listen to them. You get some good teaching and downloaded audiobook demo my audiobook can get it on. It downloaded today and hope for the caregiver out of Amazon. Just get the book. It is listen to. Just anything, but listening to the mainstream media. If you want to get updates on the medical stuff. Just go to the CDC website but then if you listen to the mainstream media in this nation on cable news.

It'll it'll make you just barking mad at me, and you will just it is. It is insane to listen to these people and so just continue to pray for our country, our president or vice president. Isn't it amazing that we have no excuse me leadership in the White House that is willing to pray and to seek God of this notice of the we can be grateful the listen will get it working. Get through this, but we gotta use some common sense are getting some common sense I will keep taking care of Gracie.

She's going to get through this and she's going be okay will find out about me with my cassette symptomatic test positive. Yet you know your help somebody walk the first time I've had that privilege many times through our organization. Standing with hope when my wife Gracie gave up both of her legs follow this horrible Rick that she had as a teenager and she try to save them for years and if it just wouldn't work out. And finally she relinquished him and thought wow this is that I'm not happy legs anymore.

What can God do with that and then she had this vision for using prosthetic limbs as a means of sharing the gospel to put legs on her fellow amputees and that's what we been doing now since 2005 was standing with hope.

We work in the West African country of Ghana and you can be a part of that through supplies through supporting team members through supporting the work that were doing over there. You could designate a limb. There's all kinds of ways that you can be a part of giving the gift that keeps on walking and standing with hope.com would you take a moment ago what to standing with hope.com and see how you can give they go walking and leaping and praising God. You could be a part of that at standing with hope and will believe that you believe that he knows the plans and is for you but what is forcing this from her record resilient that his wife Gracie who is now after 80 surgeries. Both legs imitated 100 doctors, 12 hospitals, seven insurance companies $11 million is now fighting this coronavirus and she has tested positive for cheese doing okay but she is that from her record resilient and she is indeed resilient. I have been tested, but I haven't had the results back yet. They wanted to just see what's going on with me. There's a lot of people to try to test me to see what's going on with me but that's it. Again, it's a whole different ship and I'm not symptomatic and they're all, looking at me with a raised eyebrow. Wonder why eyes as her 24 seven caregiver that I'm not but will see you and I may end up testing positive for that we were quarantined when I go anywhere for a while and but you know that's for caregivers is not abnormal is, we were just, you know that's kind of our journey we we were somewhat limited with our independence and somewhat isolated on a given day, and so were good and walk to this thing, this is Peter Rosenberg… Hopefully caregiver hope for the caregiver.com.

If you want to find out more joy get the podcast that will put the show out there carcasses free and hear somebody calling one another Scripture that I read is Proverbs 321 through 35 Proverbs great book to read if you want to get an MBA in God's wisdom, MBA in God's wisdom.

This was likes of master class in West is the master class in West but it's Proverbs 321 of my son, do not lose sight of these keep sound wisdom and discretion, and they will be life or your soul and adornment for your neck and you will walk on your way securely. Your foot will not stumble. If you lie down, you will not be afraid when you lie down your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden terror or the ruin of the wicked when it comes for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught. Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when it is in your power to do it. For those of you who are regular students of Scripture have you ever seen a passage in scripture where God says okay, now's the time to panic.

Okay, get out there and look frantic just give you the shortage there's none out there that says that we trusted him and I've ever reminded of a couple things Daniel slept in the end of the lines. Elijah was being chased by Jezebel and he slept while they were chastened.

Jesus slipped in the boat when the storm is coming. There's a zero precedent for taking a nap in the midst of craziness. So there's a lot of craziness going on in this country. Rest.

Take a nap if you need to be still. You just heard Gracie saying he knows the place and he has for you.

Jesus, when he was on the boat in Galilee on the Sea of Galilee.

And he fell asleep in the boat and the disciples Knesset don't you even care and he looked at them kind of income with incredulity and just knowing what's matter with you guys. Don't you know who I am and poor sleep.

They still had figured all this out.

Jesus knew that he came to this earth to die and live fully as man he shelved is that divinity, he did not walk around with the full. It's hard to explain this but passed one pastor explains to be this way he just basically shelved his divinity and was allowed to experience life as a man, and so went that way.

He was free to marvel at the centurion. He was free to marvel at the woman who wanted to touch the hem of his garment, and when he was asleep on the boat in the sea of Galilee. The storm came up. He was free to sleep because he knew he came to die, but he knew he was going to Dallas.

He gallantly and I think this is that same piece that's available to us to know that God has a purpose and all these things. He has a plan in these things we are always like the plant and I can tell you that there are parts of that plan that are incredibly painful in their there are things about his sovereignty that are incredibly difficult to wrap your mind around when you go in times like this when you taking care of a woman who has been through what my wife been through a nasty test positive for the coronavirus you when you go will Scripture tell you to go you go. Christ, you look to the cross because that is the the anchor of everything in our lives that God is promising for us.

That is, that is the fulfillment of all of it is the cross. There's no other place to go, man has nothing to offer you two calm your fears in in in such a way that best we can live peacefully in seasons of financial prosperity.

Or maybe your health, whatever, but were all getting older all declining were all going through these things in it's only a matter of time. We give ourselves the illusion of comfort but all creation is groaning. I'm looking out in front of me at this vast mountain landscape in Montana. It's extraordinarily beautiful everywhere I look at here's is a postcard and I see the snow-covered peaks every now that I see a moose or deer or whatever it is just exquisitely beautiful but Scripture says that all of that is also groaning all creation is groaning and we are part of creation and where groaning, but that doesn't mean there's not beauty to be seen. That is me. There's not joy to be seen, but it means that it's all part of a groaning process that God is making all things new, but it's in his time and so we have these massive pandemics like this are what we have troubling times like these things and they are they are troubling times when you go what you do. I have watched Gracie B will offer more gurneys than I care to remember to surgery I have watched her groan in pain and scream in pain more times that I want to recall. I have looked at myself and seen things in me that calls me just to want to just crawl in the fetal position.

We've seen it.

We've done it. We've lived, we still live it. But even all of those things I have seen such beauty.

Such joy, such wonderment and such provision God from God's hand in this. And so for those of you who are struggling with this this morning and I think we all are as a nation I don't normally give my advice try to share my experience but I'm going to give a piece of advice will break motor my rules and will give the piece would place calm down, turn off the news media. Open your Bible opened your him. If you have one.

If you don't go Google it on letting it get to him on. You can go out to my podcast and is free.

I put out. It is well with my soul on my CD socially kick. I think it's out there somewhere my podcast. Just listen to that you can download the whole CD. If you want to but just get unspotted from whatever he just place but something that angers you back to the eternal turn off the temporary and focus on the eternal, the smart use common sense. We don't need to be stupid but turn off some of these things and focus on the turn when you are encountering something like this that is way too big for us. That's the time to hang on to the one that it's not too big for I'm not saying this from a place of theory. My wife has tested positive for the coronavirus were living it right now waiting on me. It's real and it's here now the question is are we going to react like a bunch of idiots over to respond with common sense and trusting with it in in our Savior, knowing that his scarred hand is hanging onto our security. That's hope for the care that conviction that we can live, healthier, and their essay more joyful life, not because were so strong, not because were so hopefully caregiver.com will untangle a part of overdoing thank you for the